An information handling system (IHS) may include a processor or other devices for processing, managing, communicating or otherwise manipulating information. Modern IHSs often include integrated circuits (ICs) that incorporate several components integrated together on a common semiconductor die. Some IHSs operate as test systems that test or otherwise evaluate the functionality and performance characteristics of IC designs during the development process of the IC. Modern IC development processes employ early design guidelines such as design specifications that design professionals may use prior to and during the development process. Design specifications may include stringent requirements relating to the overall speed capability and throughput of the IC or other performance requirements. For example, a design requirement of a particular IC may demand that the IC functions without failure at a predetermined clock frequency. In another example, an IC design requirement may specify that a particular IC must execute standard test application sampling software to precise performance specifications.
With such stringent requirements on IC design performance, designers strive to develop extensive test strategies early in the IC development process. It is very common to apply these test strategies before the physical IC design hardware is complete. Designers develop computer simulation or IC design models and test various parameters of the IC in a virtual test mode. The more detailed or accurate the IC design model that the test simulation employs, the more accurate the corresponding testing results become. However, more detailed IC models result in longer test application software execution times during testing.
Designers use test application software programs, such as workload programs to extensively test IC designs during the development process. Test application software such as workload programs may include large numbers of program instructions that often number in the hundreds of billions or trillions. Due to the large number of instructions in these applications, it may not be feasible to run or execute a test application software program on an IC design model and still evaluate results in a timely manner. For example, in a cycle-accurate processor model that executes about 10,000 instructions per second, a one trillion instruction test application software program may take over 3 years to complete. A cycle-accurate processor model is an IC design model that accurately reflects the per clock cycle simulation of instruction software within the IC design under evaluation. Hours of a typical test application software program execution in a real world processor may correspond to months or years of execution time of an IC design model within a simulator.
What is needed is a testing method and apparatus that addresses the problems faced by integrated circuit (IC) designers described above.